A godly and learned treatise of prayer which both conteineth in it the doctrine of prayer, and also sheweth the practice of it in the exposition of the Lords prayer: by that faithfull and painfull servant of God George Downame, Doctr of Divinity, and late L. Bishop of Dery in the realm of Ireland.

CHAP. XXXII. Distinctions of prayer in regard of the object. (Book 32)

NOw this kind of invocation admitteth some di∣stinctions in regard of the object: which is ei∣ther Personall, or Reall.

In regard of persons we pray either for our selves* 1.1 or concerning others; howbeit when we pray for our selves we are also ordinarily to pray for others, as our Saviour hath taught us.

The prayer which concerneth others is properly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, intercession, and it is either for them, 1. Tim. 2. 1. or against them, Rom. 11. 2.

The others for whom we are to pray, are either deceased or living. The deceased are either the

elect, which are happie in heaven; or the reprobate, damned in hell. For the elect in generall we do pray in the second petition of the Lords prayer, that the whole number of the elect being accomplished the Lord would hasten the second coming of Christ, for our and their full redemption, that both they and we may both in body and soul enjoy the feli∣citie of our blessed Saviour, and by him the fellow∣ship of the whole Trinity to our complete and eter∣nall happinesse. As touching the reprobate in hell; we are not to pray for them, but rather against them: which we do in generall and by consequence in the same petition.

In particular we are not to pray for any deceased:* 1.2 For either they be in heaven, and then our prayer is needlesse; or in hell, and then it is bootlesse. For as touching the purgatorie-fire, it was but a smoke, and therefore vanished; or at the most a devised fire, serving for the Popes kitchin, and the inrich∣ing of the Popish clergie. Furthermore, as he that prayeth in particular for the saints in heaven wrong∣eth them, as supposing that they need his prayer; so he that prayeth for any of the reprobate in hell wrongeth himself; for such a prayer being with∣out warrant, and therefore not of faith, yea expresse∣ly against the Scriptures, which teach that out of hell there is no redemption, is turned into sin. For what warrant have we to love where we know that God doth hate, or to make intercession for them to whom the intercession of Christ doth not be∣long?

But we know not whether they be in heaven or* 1.3 in hell.

But this we are to know, Whether they be in* 1.4 heaven or hell we are not in particular to pray for them. If we know not their estate, we are in charity to hope the best of those which die in the church; for whom being in heaven we can by prayer procure no particular blessing.

Concerning those that are alive; We are com∣manded* 1.5 in the word of God to pray one for another, Jam. 5. 16. for all the Saints, Ephes. 6. 18. for the whole brotherhood of Christians, as our Saviour hath taught us, Our Father, Give us, &c. The which as it doth teach us our duty, so to them that do it it ministreth comfort. Frater, si pr•…•… te solo oras, solus oras pro te: si pro omnibus, omnes orant pro te: Brother, if thou prayest for thy self alone, then thou alone prayest for thy self: if thou prayest for all, then all pray for thee. And not onely for the faithfull are we to pray, but for all men in generall, that is, for men of all sorts and conditions, those onely excepted who have sinned against the holy Ghost: for whom there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne, b•…•…t a fearfull expectation of judgement, and vio∣lent fire which shall consume the professed enemies of God, Hebr. 10. 27. For these we are not to pray, 1. John 5. 16.

Of the rest there is a distinction to be made in re∣spect both of their outward and inward estate. In regard of outward estate some are publick per∣sons, some are private. We are to pray for all, but especially for the publick, and those which be in au∣thority, 1. Tim. 2. 1, 2. And as private persons are to pray for the publick, so contrariwise the publick for the private, 1. Sam. 12. 23.

In regard of the inward estate, some are faithfull, some are faithlesse. We are to pray for all, but espe∣cially for those which be of the houshold of faith, Psal. 122. 6. Ephes. 6. 18. Gal. 6. 10.

The faithlesse are the enemies of God, and some* 1.6 of them the enemies of our Church and countrey, and some enemies to our selves; and shall we pray for such?

Although now they be the enemies of God, yet* 1.7 hereafter they may become friends and be reconci∣led* 1.8 unto him: whereof our prayer may be a means: And therefore howsoever we are to pray against their wicked practices, we are to pray for their per∣sons, that they of enemies may become friends; of infidels, faithfull; of hereticks and schismaticks, sound Christians; of wicked and profane, religious and holy: for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who willeth that all men should be sa∣ved and come unto the knowledge of the truth, 1. Ti∣moth. 2. 4.

Examples of them who have prayed for the wic∣ked are very many in the word of God: As of A∣braham, for the Sodomites, Gen. 18. Moses, for the rebellious Israelites, Exod. 32. yea, for Pharaoh and the Egyptians; Samuel, for Saul, the man of God, for Jerdboam, 1. Kings 13. But why seek •…•… ex∣amples? We have a commandment to pray for such as have sinned not unto death, and a promise to procure mercy for them, 1. John 5. 16. and a com∣plaint of God when this is not performed, Ezek. 22. 30.

Prayers made for the wicked are many times* 1.9 without fruit.

If they be without fruit, though they be to them* 1.10 idle, yet not to thee: Thy prayer shall return into thine own bosome, Psal. 35. 13. according to that Mat. 10. 13. When ye come into an house, salute it, or wish peace unto it: if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

As for those that be our enemies; Though the Schoolmen teach that we are not or at least need not specially to pray for them, yet our Saviour Christ hath commanded us to love our enemies, to blesse them that curse us, and to pray for them who de∣spitefully use us and persecure us. So Jer. 29. 7. Rom. 12. 14. And this was practiced by our Saviour, Luke 13. 34. by Stephen, Acts 7. 60.

To this kind of praying for others we are to re∣ferre* 1.11 Blessing: which is a speciall kind of prayer of the superiour for the inferiour, Heb. 7. 7. As of the Prince, 1. Kings 8. 55. of the Priest, Num. 6. 23, 24. of the parents, Gen. 9. and 27. and 49. To which the Lord hath given great force, insomuch that the prolonging of the childrens life and dayes seemeth to be attributed to the parents in the fifth commandment, that they may prolong their dayes, &c. And therefore not without cause are children taught to crave the blessing of their parents; the rather because as it is our duty to pray for others, so also to desire others to pray for us. Which hath been done not onely by the inferiour and weak in grace, as 1. Sam. 12. Jam. 5. 14. but also by the chief Saints of God, as by Paul in many places of his epistles, as Rom. 15. 30. Eph. 6. 19. But when

we desire others to pr•…•…y for us, we must adde our own prayers, and our indeavour, and our repen∣tance,* 1.12 if sinne hath separated between God and us; otherwise the prayers of others though never so godly will not avail us, Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 14.

Prayer against others is Querimonia or, Impre∣catio.* 1.13

Complaint, is intercession against others, laying* 1.14 forth the evil that they do or intend against us, Rom. 11. 2, 3. 1. Kings 19. 14. Psal. 3. 1, 2. and 22. 7, 8, 12. Isai. 37. 14. Acts 4. 29.

Imprecation is that intercession against others* 1.15 whereby we do not onely declare their malum cul∣pae, evil of sinne; but desire their malum poenae, evil of punishment. And hereof are three degrees: The first, when we pray not against their persons but against their counsels and practices, that God would confound them and bring them to nought: So Da∣vid prayed against Achitophel, 2. Sam. 15. 31. Se∣condly, when we pray the Lord to inflict some tem∣porall affliction upon them that they may be hum∣bled and brought to repentance, Psal. 83. 16. Fill their faces with shame, O Lord, that they may seek thy name. Job 34. 36. Optat Elihu Jobum tamdiu affligi donec justitiam Dei agnoscat, & à responsionibus blasphe∣mis qualibus impii utuntur abstineat: Elihu wisheth Job so long to be afflicted till he acknowledged Gods justice, and absteined from blasphemous an∣swers, such as the wicked do use. Thirdly, when we pray for their utter destruction, Psal. 55. 15. But here it may be demanded whether these kinds of* 1.16 imprecations be lawfull and agreeable to charity, and whether also they be imitable.

Of the first there is no question, seeing it is made not against their person but their sinne. Now it is profitable not onely for him that prayeth, but for the other also that is prayed against, that his sinne may be restrained, and his wicked practices prevent∣ed. Nor is there any great question to be made of the second, if it be made in hatred of the sinne and love of the person, that the sinne by the affliction may be mortified and the sinner saved. Concerning the third, we are to distinguish between such im∣precations as are generally conceived against the wicked and obstinate enemies of God, and those which are particular. For of the first there is no question to be made, that they be warrantable and lawfull, as they are generally propounded without having a speciall eye to some particulars whom per∣haps we maligne; Judg. 5. 31. Psal. 31. 17. Deut. 27. 15, &c. to the end of the chapter. 1. Cor. 16. 22. Anathema Maranatha. Again, those that are di∣rected against particular men, sometimes they are, as Augustine saith, verba praedicentium, the words of* 1.17 those who foretell, rather then vota imprecantium, the wishes of them that imprecate; as Gen. 9. 25. Psal. 109. 7, 8. with Acts 1. 20. Jos. 6. 26. with 1. Kings 16. 34. And such are the words denounced by our Saviour to Chorazin and Bethsaida, Matth. 11. 21. against the Pharisees, Matth. 23. and Luke 11. 42, &c. against Judas, Matth. 26. 24.

As touching the rest of the curses which the ho∣ly men of God in the Scriptures have denounced against the wicked, wishing the ruine and destructi∣on of their persons, we are to hold that howsoever

they were warrantable in them, yet not imitable of us. They by the spirit of God were inlightened certainly to know & discern those against whom they make such imprecations to have been the de∣sperate enemies of God appointed to destruction. Secondly., they were moved not with private ha∣tred but with a pure zeal of Gods glory, to which the love of our neighbour must give place, desiring that God might be glorified in the confusion of his obstinate enemies.

But as for us who neither have the like certainty* 1.18 of knowledge nor the like purity of zeal, our safest course is altogether to abstein from imprecations directed against the persons of men; knowing that when curses do proceed from private hatred and malice, they are most horrible profanations of the name of God, whereby malicious men go about to make God the executioner of their malice: and therefore we are charged not to curse but to blesse, 1. Pet. 3. 9. even those that curse or persecute us, Rom. 12. 14. Matth. 5. 44. Cursed therefore are they which use cursing, Psal. 109. 17. especially if they curse any of the heirs of the promise, to whom God hath made this promise, Blessed be he that blesseth thee, and cursed be he that curseth thee, Gen. 12. 3. and 27. 29.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Of the persons; For and against whom we must pray.
• * 1.2

  That we ought not to pray for the dead.
• * 1.3

  Object.
• * 1.4

  Answ.
• * 1.5

  That we ought to pray for those that are alive.
• * 1.6

  Object.
• * 1.7

  Answ.
• * 1.8

  That we ought to pray for un∣believers.
• * 1.9

  Object.
• * 1.10

  Answ.
• * 1.11

  Of Blessing, a speciall kind of prayer.
• * 1.12

  Chrysost. hom. 79.
• * 1.13

  Of Prayer against o∣thers.
• * 1.14

  Complaint;
• * 1.15

  Imprecation.
• * 1.16

  Whether im∣precations be lawfull.
• * 1.17

  Contra •…•…au∣stum.
• * 1.18

  Our safest course is to abstein from imprecations